After losing her job, her apartment, and her boyfriend, Paige has no choice but to leave Philadelphia and move in with her retired parents. For an artsy outsider like Paige, finding her place in the tightly knit town isn’t easy-until she meets Brendan, the hot mechanic who’s interested in much more than Paige’s car. In no time at all, Brendan helps Paige find a new job, new friends, and a happiness she wasn’t sure she’d ever feel again. With Brendan by her side, Paige finally feels like she can call Mirabelle home. But when a new bombshell drops, will the couple survive, or will their love come undone?

Christal’s Review – 4 Skulls – A-

I am not the most prolific of romance readers, but I do like to pick one up from time to time. I don’t want anything too schmaltzy but I also hate when there is too much drama. Shannon Richard’s first novel in Country Roads, Undone, struck a perfect balance for me and began a series that I see myself compulsively following.

Country Roads has been published as a e-series previously, but it is now receiving a paperback re-release with new publicity. I found it on Netgalley and I thought the cover was cute plus I lived in Florida for quite a few years of my life. I thought it would be a typical romance with main characters that just needed to get over themselves so they could be together, but Undone turned out to be so much more.

Paige moved to the small Florida town of Mirabelle to stay with her parents after losing her job and breaking up with her long-time boyfriend. Paige was “big city” where most of Mirabelle’s residents were “small town.” She hadn’t really met anyone her own age and the older residents thought she was a troublemaker. Undone might have been a little heavy on the small-town gossip and judgement, but let’s just say it was an embellishment on the truth. Hailing from a very small southern town, I can tell you that wariness of “outsiders” and “blessing” their little hearts really does happen. It can be hard for some people to find their place. Luckily for Paige, she meets Brendan, her hot mechanic, and he helps get her a job interview.

The copy for Undone exaggerates Brendan’s role in helping Paige fit in a little bit. While he does get her the interview, it’s Paige that actually lands the job. She makes friends with a co-worker that introduces her to other like-minded women, one of whom just happens to be Brendan’s sister. Though getting the job was a turning point for Paige, it wasn’t like Brendan swooped in and took over – no “man makes everything better” trope here.

Brendan did make Paige feel loved and adored and I thought their relationship was so sweet. They were a good balance for one another and supported what was important to the other. Paige is a very artistic person and Brendan encouraged her in all aspects. Brendan had lost his mom at an early age and never knew his dad; Paige helped him to work through a lot of the grief and anger he still felt. Though their courtship was a bit of a whirlwind, it didn’t feel like it was a stretch for them to be thinking marriage after only a few months.

A little bit of drama did come between Paige and Brendan in the end, but I think it really was less about them and more about Paige being hit with confusing news while she was going through a very difficult family situation. I always felt like Paige and Brendan were right for each other in Undone and I never doubted that they would fix everything once Paige worked her way out of her grief.

If Paige and Brendan were the sun and the moon, the secondary characters in Undone were the stars twinkling around them. Everyone was a winner and I’m happy that the Country Roads series follows the trend of focusing on a different pair each time. First up is Brendan’s sister Grace, who is just as sweet and supportive as her namesake, and his best friend Jaxson, the hunky town sheriff. Grace was one of my favorite characters and I am very eager to see her get a happy ending. The other characters that round out this novel were all excellent and I liked that even the parental figures had time and attention devoted to fleshing out their characters.

Undone is a perfect read for when you just want to feel good. Brendan and Paige’s sweet courtship will warm your heart and a couple steamy moments will also warm your bed sheets. This book is like the best sugary treat — you know you’ll make yourself sick if you eat too many, but one or two to savor is just perfect. Shannon Richard’s Country Roads definitely hits all the right romance notes for me and I know I will be picking up the other installments as soon as they are re-released!

Thank you to Netgalley and Forever for providing an ARC copy of this book!